


Don’t pick people off the streets

by choppedmint (forevermint)



Series: The Road Not Taken [15]
Category: The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Gen, Historical Fantasy, Historical References, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21642523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevermint/pseuds/choppedmint
Summary: ORIGIN "Mad: Don’t pick people off the streets": Interpreting the prompt ‘mad’ as ‘crazy’ is one of my few joys. I’d already roughly outlined most of how Arthur and Myrnin met. It really was just how to write it. Of course, midway through writing it, I realized I didn’t know the herbs Arthur was supposed to smell of and pestered various people until I just looked back through my notes and found them. Honestly, really sorry about that everyone.
Relationships: Myrnin (Morganville Vampires) & Arthur Dee
Series: The Road Not Taken [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558276





	Don’t pick people off the streets

Arthur wasn’t actually paying attention while he turned into the alleyway. It was just another return visit from a client. This time it had been a boy with a high fever. He’d done all the proper treatment and things to ensure that they’d have a healthier chance in the future, but otherwise he was free for the rest of the day. Until something turned up as it evidently does. But he would have found his way home just fine if a pile of rags to his left hadn’t turned out _not_ to be a pile of rags.

It looked up, blinking in the sunlight, and turned its head this way and that. It was only then that Arthur realized it was a man, hair ratted and tangled around his head. And it was a he, the body structure was right for that. Arthur blinked, looking him up and down. Well, he supposed that wasn’t something he could do much about. There was always going to be those sorts of people on the street and there wasn’t anything that could be done about them. If they came to him, he treated what needed to be treated. It just wasn’t unusual for there to be poor people. It just happened.

He, now the surprise had been cleared up, started walking again.

“Medicine,” he heard the man mumble. Arthur paused, looking back. He wasn’t too sure what he’d just heard or why. Was that a request?

“Sorry?” he asked hesitantly. The man had tilted his head, looking at Arthur through bleary eyes. It was a bit unnerving, how they were unfocused but were still following Arthur’s progress. The doctor turned back, completely facing the man. “I thought I heard you say something?” He tried again.

“You smell like medicine,” the man said again. His words were almost clear, but the eyes had to focus again. “Herbs. Medicine. Tonic. And corresponding synonyms.”

Curious, but not greatly so, Arthur studied his hands. He didn’t smell strongly of anything much. It was very hard to pick up. “Yes,” he said, eyebrow rising just slightly. He tilted on his heel, about to walk away.

“Meadowsweet and feverfew,” said the man absentmindedly. Arthur frozen, then looked around.

“I’m sorry? Do I know you?” He wasn’t really expecting a yes. He looked the man over more accurately. He was pale, deathly so. He seemed disconnected from reality, but he blinked a couple of times and said to Arthur, “No. No, sorry, I don’t think so.”  
He pressed his back into the wall, no longer looking in Arthur’s direction.

Arthur frowned. Should there be more that he should say? It wasn’t that unusual to talk to people in this man’s condition, though often they came to Arthur instead of the other way around.

“Look, my place of work is only three streets down if you ever need anything,” he said with hesitation. The man seemed to know he was a doctor. “Er … goodbye.”

The man didn’t raise his head as Arthur slowly took a step back and then hesitantly turned. Something about him, even though he was in a rag-tag condition, seemed familiar …

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGIN "Mad: Don’t pick people off the streets": Interpreting the prompt ‘mad’ as ‘crazy’ is one of my few joys. I’d already roughly outlined most of how Arthur and Myrnin met. It really was just how to write it. Of course, midway through writing it, I realized I didn’t know the herbs Arthur was supposed to smell of and pestered various people until I just looked back through my notes and found them. Honestly, really sorry about that everyone.


End file.
